


Losing you - Finding you

by BearlyMadeIt



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Emotional, Established Relationship, F/M, Feelings, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Future, Future Fic, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Infinity Gems, Inspired By, Love, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Romance, Science Fiction, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Torchwood - Freeform, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 08:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15748065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearlyMadeIt/pseuds/BearlyMadeIt
Summary: Stephen Strange survived Thanos - losing the only one he ever cared about in the process. Christine turned to dust without him being able to save her.Eventually, he found someone. And watched him die again. For he didn't age. Didn't die.He lived from day to day to year to century to millennia. See species come and go. One life after another after another.And then, one day, he heard her voice. Christine's voice.





	Losing you - Finding you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Winxhelina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winxhelina/gifts).



> Happy Birthday!
> 
> I originally wanted it to be a one-shot, but as you see, the story had other plans with me.

For a long while, Stephen simply thought he had a long lifespan. Through being exposed to magic or something. Maybe some spell had gone awry and given him a few more years. When he still looked like thirty after the death of his husband, he had to admit that something was wrong.

Placing flowers on her grave, he sighed softly. “Hey, Chris.” He said gently, looking at the gravestone he had seen more than a thousand times. He still missed her, after all those years. Even after having eventually married some forty years ago. His love. Well, his now dead love had always known about her. How could he not? They had both lost the love of their life to Thanos finger snap. They both knew they were just... second choices to another. Yet, it was like that for both of them, and they lived happily with it. Holding each other when it got too much at times. They understood each other, after all. They knew how it felt, to lose the one person who truly mattered. Stephen had hoped, that they could reverse the snap, maybe turn back time or something, but it didn’t work. Saving the dead ones had never been part of his vision.

“I’ll leave the city for a while.” He told Christine Palmer’s gravestone. “Maybe the planet or the dimension. I’m not sure yet.” He was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on her name. He had to replace the gravestone soon. It started to get unreadable due to corrosion.

“He died too, you know?” he told her, his voice breaking while doing so. Sure, he hadn’t been the love of his life, but it had been good. Life had been good. He had loved him after all. That was more than many could say. “I guess you two sit together and trade terrible stories about me.” He said with a weak smile. He didn’t believe in a heaven. Not really. Not truly. Yet, the thought was soothing. That all those who died all those years ago went to heaven. That his now dead husband went to heaven. Maybe... maybe it was just another dimension. One he never found on his personal quest to do just that. Find were ever dead souls went. Talk and hold and kiss her one last time. There were so many things he had never told her.

He had wanted to ask her to marry him, the day before Thanos. Then this odd feeling of dread had filled him and he hadn’t done it. Just felt the weight of the ring in his pocket and smiled and joked with her. Had one last good day. Before everything went to hell.

Pulling that diamond ring from his pocket, he held it in his trembling hands. He had kept it all those long years. Sometimes looked at it and asked himself what if. Yet, he never...

“I wanted to ask you, you know?” he said, his voice barely hearable. His heart hurt as if he had lost her yesterday. To him, it was like that, maybe. Yet, now he didn’t even have someone who could hold him when he fell apart. Kissing the ring softly, he placed it on her gravestone. A moment later he placed a spell on it. No one would be able to steal it. Or the stone for that matter. The grave had been rented for like a thousand years. That should be enough for starters.

“I love you, hon.” He told her.

The next moment he was gone.

\----

For the next thousand years, he could at least pretend that it had just been a spell gone wrong.

When he reached the humble age of ten-thousand and still hadn’t aged a day, he had to fully embrace that whatever had happened with him was not a spell.

It wasn’t until he was killed for the first time, that he understood.

He had just wanted to buy some chocolate, a rare and pricey thing on the Theta-System when he was shot in the back of his head. Whoever had been in line behind him, had decided that if he could afford chocolate, he may be worth a kill to get the money.

For a long moment he felt the pain, heard the screaming cashier, shouts all around him. He remembered seeing Christine. She rolling her eyes at him. As if she wanted to say: Come on. That’s how you die? He felt how his senses faded. How life blurred out. Dead, at last. At least, he would get to know, where dead souls went. Right?

Yet, he didn’t. After his senses had faded into nothingness, there was only darkness for a moment. Only pain and coldness and nothing at all. One second. Another. Then a searing, white light ripped him back into his body. He snapped helplessly for air, feeling that energy run through his body. It healed his fatal wound. He felt how it closed, slowly, bit by bit. How his body rebuilt itself. As soon as he was able to see the freaked out faces above him, the energy was gone.

Yet, he knew what it had been. Infinity Energy. Time-reversing itself around him, undoing his death and his death alone. After Thanos had been defeated, they had given the stones to people who could protect them. He had held the time stone for a mere heartbeat. Then it was gone. Disappeared. Never found again. Obviously, something had remained. Would he be forever now, just like the stone?

\----

Stephen had tried to kill himself for some time. Crude curiosity, so to speak. He had always come back to life, whatever he had done. Whether he had jumped from a building, drowned himself, stabbed himself, beheaded himself (that one had been tricky) or poisoned himself. He had always come back. Back from the cold darkness into the bright, searing light of his body. He seemed to have to accept he was immortal. For the time being, at least.

Some millennia’s later, he sat in his currently favorite bar, sipping the strongest alcohol this system had to offer. Over the years, his body had started to change. Tiny, tiny changes. One at a time. One of them was obviously not being able to get drunk. Alcohol just didn’t do anything but a soft buzz. And after a little, the feeling faded. Whenever he changed bars, the employees or other customers laughed at his order. In the beginning. After, he was known as the odd humanoid who couldn’t get drunk.

\----

Amerýa ‘Amy’ Tianz’tar entered her workplace, a bar in the city center, with a soft sigh. Work again. She had had off for over a month, trying to finally sort out her life. It had been rough, kinda. Running away from her family. Making it on her own. During the last month, she had met her brother. He had told her what was going on at home. How her suddenly leaving had sparked turmoil in the family. He had said it with a smile and she knew there was glee in his eyes. He hated their parents, just like she did. Or well, it wasn’t even hatred. She had just… their life, the life her parents wanted her to lead. It wasn’t for her. And now here she was, in a damn bar at the end of the universe. At least it felt like that.

After she had changed into her working attire, a questionable dress at best, she let her gaze wander through the bar. Checking out old and new (mostly only new) customers alike. And then her gaze simply stopped, glued to one man. That guy at the bar. That guy with his ruffled black hair, jacket…

She felt her heartbeat accelerate. Just seeing him. He… sure, he was handsome and all, but there was something about him she couldn’t put into words. Seeing him felt like coming home after a winter storm. Warm tea and biscuits and... She wanted him. Snuggle into his arms. See him smile. Kiss him. Today and forever after. Staring at him, she wondered what was going on. She didn’t believe in love at first sight. She didn’t believe in bonding or in soul-mates. All those concepts were useless believes and traditions of her people. Her kin. Yet here she stood, staring at a stranger and hoping he would turn around and look at her.

Or better not, because if he turned around he would see that she stared at him. Some customers did freak out about being stared at. Swiftly lowering her gaze, she hurried through the bar, looking for Samanthe. Her colleague/friend seemed to be the only other one always working here. Two constant factors in an ever-changing world. She needed a bit of constant normality right now.

Finally finding Sam, she hugged her friend.

“How are you?” Sam asked before Amy could even think of asking. Her mind was still busy imaging that guy at the bar. How his smile would look like. Would his eyes lit up at her sight?

“Oh, good, kinda. Just tired. Got off the flight, brought my stuff home and here I am.” She smiled weakly. She knew she should have just went to bed for today, wait till tomorrow and then join her (all new but Sam) co-workers. Yet, truth be told, she didn’t have any money to pay the rent for the next month. If she got paid today and pawned something off, she could keep her tiny flat. She could sleep after work. In ten sweet hours. Priorities and all.

Sam laughed at her words. “You jumped off an inter-dimensional flight and go to work after? Just don’t vomit on anyone.” Yeah. The vomiting could happen if the body caught up with the jet-lag. Or sudden falling asleep. Or simply collapsing. Or in her case, constant emitting of light which would upset half the bar. Grace. She would end in the kitchen and have to do the dishes if she was unlucky. She didn’t get any tips in the kitchen. And she desperately needed tips.

“Well, do we want to meet tomorrow after you slept some?” Sam asked, all giddy. “I really want to know the news.”

Amy smiled weakly. Of course, Sam wanted to know the news. Her friend loved drama and her family was basically one huge big drama currently. That she, the only girl of the family, had fled them. What disgrace. What dishonor. What…

“Do I have to be especially nice to some? Any new customers who could turn into regulars? Any really annoying new colleagues?” she asked, her gaze roaming the bar. Once again, she stared at that guy at the bar. Grace. If he realized that and got upset, her boss would throw her out for the day. That much for tips or payment or her flat. She had to keep it together.

Sam pointed out two new customers. Her guy was among those two. “He is really nice. Comes in every afternoon, orders a hyper-vodka and goes brooding in a booth. Today the booths were occupied. He took a seat at the bar and yeah. He always tips by the way.” Sam winked at her. “I got some garyylien money through him. Guess he forgot to change the currency on his band. You know how some people are after flights. Forget their own names.”

Amy chuckled. To forget to change the currency on his band. The flight here had to have been rough on him. Her poor guy. “How much was garyylien worth that day?” 

The smirk on her friend’s lips was answer enough. “Hundred times more than the currency on this shitty planet. He gave me three. You might say I lucked out.”

After Sam had gone home and left her with the newbies, Amy swished around the bar, taking new orders, delivering drinks and food, gave advice and always kept an eye on her guy. The longer she watched him, the stronger the feeling got. That he belonged to her. And her alone. Whenever a new female customer entered, she caught herself watching her closely. Hoping, that she wouldn’t take a seat beside him. If one would do, she didn’t know how she would react. Freak out, accidentally spill the ordered drink on her, maybe give in to vomiting. Yet, lucky her, no female sat down beside him. She could stay working for the day and keep her flat. Hopefully. Her workday had just started, after all.

As soon as she saw that his drink went nigh, she put on her best, best smile and approached him. Up close, he was even more handsome. Grace, she would love to simply spend her time staring at him. For the rest of the night. And every night to come. Yet, she was working. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t get paid if she grossed out customers. More than usually, that was. Maybe...

“May I get you a new drink?” Amy asked sweetly. She watched him turn his head and stare at her. Great.

\----

Stephen had been far, far away in his thoughts, looking at times long gone and occasionally sipping on his drink. Daydreaming would be the correct label. He liked to do that. He had many years, he could waste some with daydreaming. At least, he only did that while sitting in a bar. Brooding, other people would call it.

That voice, her voice, didn’t register as not being part of his daydream at first. For a moment he wondered why Christine asked him if he wanted to get a new drink. Then, slowly and instantly at the same time, he realized it hadn’t been in his daydream. He had heard her voice. That voice he hadn’t heard in reality in, well, ages. Lifetimes. Yet, there it was, nagging at his sanity. Christine’s voice.

Moving his head, he stared at the new waitress. That. She. It was her, she was her. She was Christine. Her voice, her eyes. The shape of her face. The gentleness in her gaze towards strangers. For a long moment, he wondered if he had died and finally found heaven. But... he didn’t die through alcohol anymore. Couldn’t. And the woman in front of him had some obvious features differing from Christine. The most exotic was her blue, fluorescent skin. Were that fangs?

And yet. She was Christine. She was that obviously Christine, that seeing and not being able to hug, kiss, talk to her - it hurt. Badly. Very badly. It ripped at his heart, planning to smash it to a thousand tiny pieces. He wasn’t sure what he was planning on doing, maybe break right in front of her, when his head reminded him that she had asked a question.

Right. That drink.

“Just more of the same.” He stated smoothly, pointing towards his drink.

He could see her lips turn into a smile. Oh god, she smiled at him! He had to keep himself from turning to jelly at that sight and perhaps fall to the ground. Or dying of a stroke. He watched her nod and turn and walk away. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at her. She even walked like Christine.

\----

All week long, Amy’s first action when she reached work was to look for her mysterious guy. He hadn’t shown up anymore, though. That fact worried her. Sam had said he came in here almost every day and now that she was here, he hadn’t turned up again. Had she chased him away? That happened at times. Customers freaking out because of and screaming at her. Apparently, her fluorescent skin made some species mad and aggressive. Maybe something about the lighting. She hated it, really. Well, no, she didn’t, but she had never met anyone who liked that about her. Her skin color, her face, her eyes, even her fangs, but never her changing lighting condition.

Her odd, self-conscious thoughts came to an end when he entered the bar again. He looked around, held her gaze for some seconds which made her heart beat faster. Oh, Grace no. As soon as her heart rate slowed down again the light she emitted would change. It would be that obvious because nothing much was going on right now. The best thing she could do was...

Keep her heartbeat fast until it wasn’t that obvious anymore. As soon as he took a seat in one of the booths, she basically stood in front of him, all smiley.

“What can I bring you? The same as last time?”

He looked at her for some long seconds. Damn, how good his gaze felt on her. All she wanted, was to feel that longer. More often. Every day. Maybe… maybe it was time to accept that she at least believed in love on first sight, if not in the stupid soulmate thing.

She had believed to have found her soulmate once. The stupid, naïve, teenage her had misinterpreted the feeling of being in love for the first time with having found her mate. It had been good. It had been sweet. And it had ended. Gruesome. She had turned her back on tradition back then. On the belief of soulmates. There was no such thing.

And yet here she stood, ogling a man she didn’t know and jumped at every second of his attention. She just knew he belonged to her. To prove that to herself, that he was hers, she had to get to know him better. She just had to.  
Handing him his vodka, she stood there for a long moment. Chewing on her bottom lip. Unsure. Did she really want to ask a stranger for a date? In the bar, she worked at? That was... that was... ridiculous. That was stupid. He would burst into laughter, wouldn’t he? What did she, a stupid bar girl, believe who she was? Invisible at best.

Yet. Collecting every bit of courage in her very body...

“Do you want to go out with me?”

She could feel how he stared at her. Feeling his gaze on her, she realized she should feel uncomfortable. Or ashamed. Or all and worse. Yet, she didn’t. She felt good. His eyes on her felt good. Suddenly, her fear was gone. Instead, she smiled at him, waiting for the nod she knew would come. First came a smile. And then the nod.

\----

Why the hell had he said yes to going on a date?! He hadn’t been on dates in literal ages! He didn’t know the protocols anymore. Was it still expected to be all sweet and nice and polite? What if he did something wrong? If he had to watch her walk away from him due to his own stupidity, he would probably go insane. Who was he kidding? He was starting the going mad already. What if he said something wrong? Or said something she couldn’t now? God forbid, what if he called her Christine? It was easy to slip back into old habits when being watched by those beautiful eyes. What if he told an inside joke and she would just frown at him and label him some crazy idiot?

Cloak stopped his frantic pacing around his flat by wrapping around him and literally pulling him off his feet. He fought against it for a second, before he gave in and let it happen. Cloak was probably right. He had to chill some. And if chilling meant hanging one meter above ground he would go with it.

Finally taking a deep breath, he reiterated the things he knew. Her name was Amy. He had to remember that. Amy. Not Christine. She was an Antiee. Or however it was pronounced. An actual mixture of humans and some ass crazy predator alien. He didn’t even want to know how that race came to be, but it explained her fangs. Left-overs from her kin from ages ago. The one thing, he was really worried about was whether they were poisonous or not. Dying through kissing her would surely be a sweet way to go, but he really didn’t want to freak her out by dying. It really didn’t matter to him, sure, but he didn’t want to talk about his immortality on a first date. Would seem odd. And would definitely freak her out. Accordingly, no dying today.


End file.
